Posts filed in: Rantings and Ramblings

A funny yet predictable observation: I’ve been too busy these past few months to utilize Twitter in the same way as I did last year, and noticed a few things: 90% of the people I used to converse with on a daily basis 12 months ago no longer communicate with me, nor I with them (nothing negative, just factual). I spend perhaps 70% less time on Twitter currently than I did last year – hmm, correlation perhaps? The statement “YouRead more

This month marks the seventh year of this blog. A tremendous amount has changed in these seven years, and through it all, I’ve kept this old thing running – something I never envisioned in 2002 as a naive, fresh-off-the-plane expat. In many ways I supposed I’ve “grown up” in front of anyone who has followed this blog; writing styles have changed, perspectives altered, and life experiences have dramatically morphed my views of the world. The archives aren’t functioning ideally atRead more

We’ve decided that we need a car in Manila. As metropolitan and accessible this city is, we’re feeling confined and limited in our options with using taxis. Many expats don’t feel a car is necessary, or even desired when taxis are such an easy part of getting around. I beg to differ. The last straw came yesterday when, after waiting for 30 minutes in a taxi stand line, we hopped into a run down taxi, exhausted from carrying 70lbs ofRead more

This is the second part of a series I’m devoting toward making supplemental income. Consider it a glimpse into my own experimentation. If I crash and burn, you’ll get a front row seat. After posing the question I received an abundance of helpful and interesting responses. The majority of which were centered around photography. A list of suggestions (in the order they were posted): Wedding photography Side business from passions iPhone app creation Publish a photo book Indonesian stock marketRead more

Money. As much as I strive to enjoy life without focusing on it, I’m beginning to feel that it’s time to seek out more financial security. The global recession, New Year’s resolutions, and the very lucid realization that I’m now in my 30’s has been the cause of such thinking. For the past seven years, I’ve lived in Jakarta on a decent salary, with sufficient housing provided, a car that’s paid off, maids that have cooked and cleaned, and haveRead more

I’ve been on holiday for over three weeks now, since I’m online much of the work day, I thought I’d take a break from the internet, hence my recent lack of posting. We decided to stay in Jakarta for the entire break this year, mainly because I’ve been trying to be more financially responsible (skip the next few words), and prioritized the purchase of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II (still need to sell my 5D), but also because weRead more